(1/15/01)
"I would admonish everyone within the sound of my voice to associate
with good people. Those with whom you associate will contribute to
your success or your failure, and their actions and ideals will have a
profound influence on life and your actions, either for good or evil.
Learn to walk in the company of good people; shun evil by staying out
of the devil’s territory." — O. Leslie Stone, "Making
Your
Marriage Successful," Ensign, May 1978, p. 57

(10/13/04)
"On one occasion Christ said, 'If ye love me, keep my commandments.' (John
14:15.) How long? For a day? Should we keep the commandments of
the Lord for a week? Should we observe and do his will for a month or
a year? To my knowledge, there is no promise to any individual that he
shall receive the reward of the just, unless he is faithful to the
end. If we fully understand and faithfully carry out in our lives the
principles that Jesus taught, we shall be prepared to go back and
dwell in the presence of the Father and the Son." - O. Leslie Stone, "The
Beatitudes," Ensign, November 1974, p. 33

(12/12/04)
"As we seek to develop and strengthen these testimonies, we must
always rely on the Lord and place our highest priority on spiritual
values. We must not forget, however, that a testimony does not, in and
of itself, guarantee that we will inherit the celestial kingdom. We
might know the gospel is true, but unless we are valiant, live
righteous lives, and work to build the kingdom here on earth, we will
not inherit celestial glory. In the epistle of James this principle is
clearly taught: 'Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have
works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my
faith by my works.... But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith
without works is dead?' (James
2:18, 20.) Plainly, we must have both faith and works to obtain
all of the blessings we seek." - O. Leslie Stone, "Testimony,"
Ensign,
May 1975, p. 8

9/23/06
"Meekness is a virtue that can be exercised toward both God and man.
The meek are those who are gentle, kind, patient, tolerant; not proud,
mighty, or conceited. In Proverbs we read, 'He that is slow to anger
is better than the mighty.' (Prov.
16:32.)

"Meekness must not, however, be confused with self-depreciation.
Because it involves self-control, it is not a weak, but a heroic
quality. Our Savior at all times was willing to submit to the will of
God. Even in his moment of agony, he could say, 'Nevertheless not my
will, but thine, be done.' (Luke
22:42.)" - O. Leslie Stone, "The
Beatitudes," Ensign (CR), November 1974, p.31

11/21/06
"Many of our problems are blessings in disguise. They are provided so
that we might gain the experiences intended for us on this earth and
thus prepare us for meeting and solving problems in the next phase of
our eternal existence." - O. Leslie Stone, "Love
and Forgive One Another," Ensign (CR), January 1974, p.38

12/8/06
"Our late President Heber J. Grant told us how to endure to the end when
he said:

"'Let us do the will of our Father in heaven today—we will then be
prepared for the duties of tomorrow and for the eternities to come.'

"Christ repeatedly emphasized the fact that the gospel is one of work
and service. To gain blessings, we must be doers of the word and not
hearers only. In Matt.
7:21 we read: Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my
Father which is in heaven.

"This means if we are to gain salvation, exaltation, and eternal life we
must live in accordance with the principles of the gospel. We must love
and forgive all men and keep the commandments of God." - O. Leslie
Stone, "Love
and Forgive One Another," Ensign (CR), January 1974, p.38

8/19/07
"The constant exercise of our faith by lofty thinking, prayer,
devotion, and acts of righteousness is just as essential to spiritual
health as physical exercise is to the health of the body. Like all
priceless things, faith, if lost, is hard to regain. Eternal vigilance
is the price of our faith. In order to retain our faith we must keep
ourselves in tune with our Heavenly Father by living in accordance
with the principles and ordinances of the gospel." - O. Leslie
Stone, "The
Constant Exercise of Our Faith," Ensign
(CR), July 1973, p.59

2/5/09"Whenever
we live up to the best that is in us, we live up to the principles and
the ideals the Savior gave us. To follow him brings peace to the soul."
- O. Leslie Stone, "The Beatitudes,"
Ensign (CR), November 1974, p.31

5/28/12
The constant exercise of our faith by lofty thinking, prayer,
devotion, and acts of righteousness is just as essential to
spiritual health as physical exercise is to the health of the body.
Like all priceless things, faith, if lost, is hard to regain.
Eternal vigilance is the price of our faith. In order to retain our
faith we must keep ourselves in tune with our Heavenly Father by
living in accordance with the principles and ordinances of the
gospel. - O. Leslie Stone, "The
Constant Exercise of Our Faith," Ensign (CR) May 1973

7/2/14We
should focus, not on serving ourselves, but on serving our
fellowmen, thereby losing ourselves in the service of our
Heavenly Father, his work and his glory. In order to be most
effective in our service, we need to put our own lives in
order. Then, as we live the gospel, our lives will reflect
righteousness and virtue, and we will be a powerful influence
for good in the lives of others. This is why it is not enough
to be righteous for the sake of our own salvation. We must let
our goodness radiate to others, that through our example and
reputation they will lift their lives and have the desire to
follow the Savior’s pattern of living. - O.
Leslie Stone, “The
Importance of Reputation,” Ensign (CR) November 1975

8/29/14
He set up a new code for living—to love one another, even
one’s enemies. He enjoined us to judge not, to forgive, and to
give all men a second chance.

Think what a change this would make in the world today if we
as individuals and the nations of the earth could live up to
this code. We have often heard people say, “Well, I will
forgive, but I won’t forget,” which, of course, means they do
not forgive. - O.
Leslie Stone, “Commandments
to Live By,” Ensign (CR) November 1979

10/4/14Some of us may feel from time to
time that some of his commandments are an impediment to happiness in
this life, but this isn’t so; and deep down in our hearts we all
know that so long as we adhere to these commandments, just as surely
as night follows day, we will reap the blessings that are promised
to the faithful. - O. Leslie
Stone, “Commandments
to Live By,” Ensign (CR) November 1979

12/6/14Admittedly, it is easier to talk
about a testimony than to obtain one. The Lord intended that we
should work hard to obtain a testimony, for that will make our
testimonies stronger, and they will be more apt to remain with us.
Always remember that no good thing comes without effort and
sacrifice. - O. Leslie Stone, “Testimony,”
Ensign (CR) April 1975

3/25/15I
conclude by bearing my witness as to the truthfulness of the gospel
of Jesus Christ. The greatest blessings we have received in our
family have been when we have been most liberal with our time, our
means, and our efforts in carrying out our responsibilities in the
Church. These blessings are available to everyone if they will but
have faith, accept the gospel of Jesus Christ, and then live in
conformity with its teachings. - O.
Leslie Stone, "The
Constant Exercise of Our Faith," Ensign (CR), July 1973,
p.59

12/23/16Some
of
us may feel from time to time that some of the Lord’s commandments are
an impediment to happiness in this life, but this isn’t so; and deep
down in our
hearts we know that so long as we adhere to the commandments, just as
surely as night follows day, we will reap the blessings that are
promised to the
faithful. Sometimes the way of fulfillment may not be apparent to us,
but the actuality of it is assured. The Lord said:

“I,
the Lord,
am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have
no promise.” (D&C
82:10.) – O. Leslie Stone,
“Love
and
Forgive One Another,” Ensign (CR) November 1973